


Malfunctioned / Fixated

by AshesToStars



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Brotherly dynamic, Important: I have not seen the whole game yet, M/M, Multi, Toxic Relationships, hankcon - Freeform, it's also like post-deviancy connor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-10-23 07:30:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17679086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshesToStars/pseuds/AshesToStars
Summary: Connor notices that there's something up between Gavin and RK900, and in response he tries to reassure his upgrade of his options. Meanwhile, RK900 sees no problems, and furthermore is unwilling to consider feeling anything about it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: have not watched full game yet. purely hypothetical post-deviancy scenario.

The clock was probably the loudest part of the house in the morning. 

It was amazing to Connor that Hank bothered to keep an analog clock around- after all it was practically archaic in comparison to how easily time was accessed nowadays. Connor was pretty positive that most humans didn't even know how to read them anymore. Hank told Connor a long time ago that he appreciated the sight of analogs, how their hands moved about the numbers and how the roundness complimented the wall well enough. Connor didn't really know about any of that, but he did know about how it ticked and tocked in a perfect rhythm that he would often listen to. Whenever he woke up, it would be the first thing he heard. Each tick was pleasant, every tock relaxing. But honestly, Connor's favorite thing about the sound was that he knew what sound would follow... Hank's voice. This morning, however, Hank didn't seem to be in bed next to him. Connor looked over at the empty space, sitting up from his position on the bed and tilting his head to the right. It wasn't often Hank woke before him- especially since Connor didn't ACTUALLY sleep so much as he shut down and got up at a scheduled time ("what's the difference?" Hank had once pointed out), so the idea of Hank getting up beforehand was unlikely. Connor hitched his movements, assessing the possibilities before he was interrupted by the door opening. Hank stood at the doorframe, hair disheveled and phone in hand. He had a look in his eyes, like the whole world had just simultaneously hit him in the back of his head, the bags under his eyes darker than usual. Whenever he looked like that, it meant something really annoying had just gone down. This was confirmed further when Hank pushed into the room and practically collapsed into a sitting position on the end of the bed with a solid groan of agitation.

"Something happen, Hank?" Connor asked, despite how obvious the answer was. He got the urge to reach out and touch Hank's shoulder, but he knew that sometimes he didn't like to be touched, so he hovered instead. Hank leaned lightly towards him, only noticeable to Connor as a signal that now was not one of those times. He put his hand against him and kept his eyes fixated on the other.

"Yeah, you could say that." Hank replied, scoffing to punctuate his words. He ran a hand over his face. "Gavin called just before you woke up." 

"Gavin?" Connor echoed, wondering what he could have wanted. Gavin didn't even seem to like Hank, and he DEFINITELY didn't like Connor. Every once in a while, the man found ways to make that perfectly clear. Bumping him, pushing him, punching him... he did it all the time. Gavin used to do it more and far more severely before Connor started fighting back and Hank started defending him. "Is there something work-related he needed from you? I can't seem to recall anything he might have asked for..."

"You think he'd ever ask me for somethin' job-related? Smug bastard thinks he's better at all that than I am, after all." Hank pointed out, almost laughing were it not for how irritated he was to have been woken up. "Instead he has the audacity to call me up to talk about RK900." Connor could feel his fists tighten against the sheet of the bed. He shifted, fidgeting in response to the name. RK900 had never exactly been a comfortable topic for him... an upgrade of himself he was forced to work alongside. It didn't help that Nines was perfectly aware and willing to bring up his obvious upgrades in technology. He was faster, better equipped, and- Connor realized as he removed his hand from the sheet- RK900 didn't fidget so much. 

"I see." Connor said fretfully, voice wavering only an amount Hank could notice. "Why you?"

"Well, he was askin' me stuff about you really. I don't really know if you wanna hear about it, Connor. It's fucked." Hank cautioned. Connor shook his head.

"I won't mind, Hank." 

"Okay, suit yourself." Hank swung his legs up onto the bed to sit more comfortably as he crossed his arms. "He asked me how I get you to listen to me so well. Phrased it like I 'tamed you' or something. When I told him to fuck off he said he was having trouble getting through to Nines, said they'd been arguing a lot more. He claimed it was for career reasons but I don't know how much he'd up and call someone if he was having problems with his 'work-partner'." He paused, rolling his eyes and getting frustrated all over again. "Anyway, I told him that you didn't just listen to me and that we listen to each other. He didn't seem to like that answer- thought I was copping out on him. He tried to push me further but I told him I wasn't his advice-keeper and to try asking someone else. After that, I hung up."

Connor stared blankly for a moment, and then he found himself fidgeting with the sheet again. He wasn't sure why, but something about everything Hank had just told him had him feeling... strange. It was like a twist in the pit of his stomach, an unseen force festering underneath his realm of understanding that only made its presence known enough to be ominous and inconspicuous. Unsettled, Connor sat back against the bed a bit, scanning the wall with his eyes. The thought of something deeper than work connecting Gavin and Nines just felt so unseemly. Hank must have noticed the change in his demeanor, since he had reached up and touched Connor on his back. Connor jumped, shaking his head slightly and glancing back at Hank, who wore something like concern in his expression.

"I'm... unclear on how to feel." Connor spoke at last, voice quiet. "Something about what you've said must have triggered something in my system I'm unaware of." He faltered, knowing that he was just trying to physically explain an emotion he didn't understand. He did that often. Ever since he started coming to terms with the things he felt and experienced, he found it hard to accept new feelings without fighting back. Verbalizing it was even more difficult. 

"Talk to me, Connor." Hank sounded annoyed, but Connor knew he meant well. "Quit starin' at the wall and look me in the eye, will ya?" Connor looked at him, but his expression stayed mostly empty.

"Wait." Connor said before Hank could speak again. "Something doesn't add up. Why would RK900 be arguing with Gavin in the first place? That's certainly something to think about. Supposedly RK900's main major upgrade is to minimize any sort of disagreement factors or clashes with other workers. If that's the case, then shouldn't-"

"Connor..." Hank narrowed his eyes and harshened his gaze.

"- Then shouldn't he be 100% willing to compromise without fuss?" Connor continued as if Hank hadn't said anything back. "If Gavin called you, it must have gotten pretty serious. I don't know Gavin well, but I know that his pride would not allow him to ask for advice unless the issue were continuous, drastic or time-sensitive. In that case, RK900 and him have either been arguing for a long time, have had a particularly touchy dispute or need to agree soon in the face of some kind of time limit. Those seem to be signs of--"

"Connor!" Hank's gaze pierced through Connor as the man turned his shoulders to face him dead-on. "You're deflecting." Connor blinked at him, before he let his gaze drop to the bed.

"I'm not sure what you mean." He lied, the LED on his head red and flashy.

"You can't lie to me, Connor, you know that. C'mon, spit it out. What's up?" Hank softened his tone and put his hand against Connor's face, who in return let his skin fade to the white underneath that made up his body.

"..." There was a tense hesitation, and then Connor finally replied. "I feel uneasy."

"Uneasy? More scared or anxious?" Hank coaxed. They did this routine often- it was a way to help Connor realize his own emotional turmoil better.

"Anxious." Connor answered, feeling a bit foolish. He was still unused to this... still so bent on being scolded for nonconformity. "I'm anxious about the things you've told me."

"Which thing? Gavin, RK900 or both?"

"Both. Together, specifically. I'm anxious at the idea of a relationship of any kind between them." Connor hoped he didn't sound jealous. He had no desire to be close to either of them. "Anxious and unsure. Like something bad would come of it, surely."

"Why?"

That question caught him offguard every single time. Connor sighed and shook his head. "I don't know." Hank leaned in, assessing him to see if that was true and then leaning back when he decidedly realized it was. Hank held his hand and tried to think of a way to help.

"Does it have something to do with work?" He asked, to which Connor shook his head. "Something to do with how they might treat you?" Connor had to think about that one, but eventually he shook his head again. He'd be treated poorly by both of them regardless of their relation to each other. "Huh." Hank was at a loss for a moment before he had another idea. "Are you worried about how they might treat each other?"

Connor opened his mouth to deny that, but then closed it again. Logically, he should have no reason to care one way or another about how Gavin and Nines treated each other. They both hated him and they had both vehemently gone against Hank and Connor's relationship with each other. He thought back to every punch and every hit that he suffered from Gavin, and then to every insult and backhanded compliment he got from Nines. They were both awful in their own right, so of course they'd be awful together. And yet, the idea of them being awful to each other struck Connor horribly quickly. He pictured them arguing and that unfamiliar twist of sickness returned to his stomach. Connor felt his body go tense and he slowly opened his mouth to speak.

"I think so. But why would I be? It's only sensible that they'd be a tad ornery with each other when you look at their personalities. And yet, somehow..." Connor listened, and in between his speaking the tick of the clock pounded against his head. "Somehow I don't think I'm comfortable with the idea of them fighting each other the same way they fight me."

Hank frowned, and gripped his hand tighter. "You're a better man than I am, Connor. Makes sense you'd feel this way." He replied, trying to keep from sounding harsh. "But at the same time, you don't owe those fuckers anything. Knowing them, this will last a week and then they'll both be back to being insufferable separately instead of together. For now, all we can do is hope it doesn't get too bad that we have to go on hearing about it." 

Connor nodded, but he was still unsure. Despite that, the overwhelming feeling was becoming more bearable and in response he leaned against Hank with his arms on the taller man's shoulders. "Thank you." He could feel Hank's face heat up despite not looking at it. The man had no idea how to respond to gratitude, much less affection. He stuttered for a few seconds, before patting Connor on the back.

"No problem...?" He sounded questioning and confused. "Eh, we're gonna be late. Get up and get ready." His tone was back to short and his voice was gruff once more. Connor smiled, and pulled from the embrace before standing from the bed.

"Waiting on you, Lieutenant." He replied, and dared to even sneak a wink to accent the tease.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, ya fuckin' weirdo."


	2. Chapter 2

The doors creaked open with a deafening sound as Connor and Hank entered the building, their demeanors revealing nothing about their past conversation. Connor looked over at Hank, a thin smile on his face met with Hank's endeared-but-proud scowl back at him. Working together before had been so tense- when Hank had hated him and he had nothing to feel for him at all, but now it was practically a dream come true (even IF Hank refused to admit it.) Now that they no longer investigated deviants, Connor and Hank worked as a pair of investigators for anything that happened to come up. Right now, there wasn't anything big happening. Just a few leadless cases and days of going over the paperwork of others on hiatus. Walking to the desk together was always a bit emotional for Connor. One side was Hank's, barely changed from how it used to be, but on the other side stood a small name tag with his own name and a desk of his own arrangements. He kept a little cup of coins, a few pictures of Sumo and Hank, a small hand puzzle, a framed photo of him with Kara, Markus, Luther, Alice and Hank all enjoying Hank's birthday together... all little pieces of himself scattered about his very own space. Connor regarded it fondly as he sat across from Hank, only to wheel his chair outwards and over to Hank's side.

"I've got an email from Kara." Hank muttered, reading it over silently in between. "She thinks we should all get together soon. As much as I enjoy hanging around all of you so often I don't know if she'll ever stop asking." His tone was amused and charmed more than it was actually upset.

"I don't know, Lieutenant." Connor replied, a warmth in his gaze as he thought of all of them. "The last time we all spent good time together was..." He paused to consider it. There'd been a few individual hangouts, but last time everyone was in the same room together... as the memory returned to him, his eyes beamed. "-was our wedding." Hank blinked and looked over at him.

"Shit... has it really been that long?" Hank was surprised, and a tad flustered. "We should meet up again soon, then, huh? I'll have to get back to her on a date for that." Connor went to respond, but out of the corner of his eye something caught his attention. RK900 had entered the room. The other android stood at the doorway, scanning across the area firmly before he walked in. Connor couldn't help but look for signs of distress on his face, but he could find none. He kept watching him, carefully following as Nines stalked across to Jeffrey in his office. Connor narrowed his eyes as the two started talking. Jeffrey seemed upset about something, and Nines was responding with determination in his gaze. "When do you think we should hang out with em?" Hank was asking. 

"It looks like Nines and Jeffrey are discussing something," Connor said, completely glossing over what was asked of him. "I wonder if he's in trouble. Or maybe there's a new lead."

"Connor, _please_." Hank pleaded, touching Connor's shoulder. "Stay focused. It's none of our business right now." Connor glanced at him and nodded.

 _But what if it **is** our business?_ He thought silently. Regardless, he didn't have much time to consider it. RK900 was walking over to them from the office, seeming to be set on a task. Hank softly muttered something under his breath as he turned to face Nines as well. 

"Connor. Hank." He greeted, as much as one could call that a greeting. "Something's happened, and Jeffrey wants the both of you to join me and Gavin in his office to discuss it. My reasoning stands to believe it has something to do with the recent disappearances. At least, my advanced deductive technology seems to lead me to believe so." Connor had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. It wasn't like deductive reasoning skills was specific to Nines' technological advances. It was a basic skill, maybe even common sense. The disappearances he was referencing were a recently put on hold case- a series of androids had gone missing recently with no connection between them besides the fact that they were all androids.

"Easy now, Sherlock, save some epiphanies for the rest of us." Hank was not so keen on suppressing his sassy remarks. "Where's your partner in crime anyway?" 

"Gavin is running a little late. He'll be here soon enough." RK900 replied, pressing his lips together slightly. "I wouldn't make Jeffrey wait. He doesn't much like having to be patient-" 

"We _know_ , Niles." Hank spat his name back at him, standing up with Connor and starting to walk past him. "We worked here first, in case you forgot. Might wanna get your memory chip tested." Connor didn't bother to hide the chuckle he gave in response as he followed Hank into Jeffrey's office with Nines right behind him. 

"Good, you're here. I hoped that wouldn't take long. Now all we need is for Reed to show." Jeffrey said as they all entered. He leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms. There was a moment of awkward silence in the room. Anxiously, Connor pulled a coin from his pocket and started to flip it over his fingers in a perfect loop. His eyes stayed fixed on it and it's every movement. It kept his attention and let the tenseness he felt wash away almost instantly. The other people in the room became obscured in his vision, and he didn't feel the need to pay close attention to every movement or word... instead, the coin took over all his idle focus and spare time. He quickly threw it into his other hand and started doing the same. Before he could smoothly transition it over his pinky finger, he heard the door open quickly and he fumbled, coin dropping to the ground. He kneeled down to pick it up, but as his hand hovered over it, a shoe came down hard on it and prevented him from getting it. Connor looked up swiftly, finding himself staring up at Gavin. Gavin kept eye-contact with Connor as he reached down, swiping the coin from under his heel and flipping it once in a simple, mediocre movement and putting it in his pocket. Connor stood up straight, glaring at Gavin as he walked over to Niles and stood beside him. 

"All my faaavorite people in one room." Gavin remarked sarcastically, leering over at Hank. "What is it, an intervention? Another relapse, Lieutenant Anderson? A shame, four months seemed to be your record." Connor clenched his fists and peered at Hank, who held a look of fury unlike any other Connor had read on his face before. 

" _Five_ months now, ya little asshole-" Hank jeered at him, showing his teeth slightly. "Where the fuck have you been, huh? Awful quick to come marching in here like a snide little--" 

"Reed! Anderson!" Jeffrey scolded, moving forward a little bit. "This isn't the time for bickering, we have news to discuss." Gavin snorted but didn't say anything else, and Hank reluctantly turned to look at Jeffrey instead. His face was slightly red with anger, and Connor could spot him shaking a little. To calm him, Connor reached over and grabbed his hand. At first he was worried it was the wrong move, but Hank gripped his hand in return. He gazed over at Niles to see the other android's reaction, but RK900 hadn't even glanced at the dispute. Nines darted his eyes towards Connor, suspicion rising just slightly in his expression when he spotted the other staring. Connor moved his head back slowly to Jeffrey. 

"One of the androids has been found." He revealed, causing everyone's attention to snap pretty harshly into focus. "Found it- er... found him beaten in the back of an abandoned garage. Seems like the culprit mistook him for dead when he left him there." 

"What did the victim have to say?" Connor questioned, finding the situation tensely familiar to old investigations he and Hank were a part of. Of course, it was to be expected that the freedom of androids was not an overnight change... but hearing about them being beaten and killed was upsetting. 

"He was in shock. Couldn't seem to remember everything that happened. Moreso, we didn't want to go on asking too many questions right away. That's your jobs." Jeffrey answered. 

"Wait, _our_ jobs?" Gavin snapped suddenly. "You can't possibly tell me I'm working with these fuckin' disasters!" 

"You will work with whoever I tell you to work with, Gavin." Jeffrey said dangerously, glancing at Hank, who had prepared to say something back but decided against it. Niles put a hand on Gavin's shoulder. 

"It's only for now." He said quietly, as if Connor weren't right next to him and close enough to hear. "Not for too long." Gavin shuffled and grumbled to himself, but he conceded and stopped arguing. 

"I expect you to be gentle with the victim. He's still very much delicate from the incident." Jeffrey warned. "We don't want to force him to tell us anything. We want to help him." He didn't say it, but everyone could tell that he was referring mostly to Gavin. "Whatever you find out is useful. Later today, I'll send you all out to investigate the crime scene afterwards. Get yourselves ready to go and have what you plan on asking in mind. Don't make any rash decisions." Everyone looked at each-other tensely before agreeing in various murmurs and grunts. Jeffrey gestured for everyone to leave, and the four of them shuffled out of the office. 

"Well I'll be damned." Hank commented, hands in his pockets. "Just when we put the case on hiatus, huh? Course it'd happen now." 

"I'm worried the other missing victims will be dead already." Connor fretfully responded. "Since this one was supposedly suspected to be dead by the suspect-" 

"Isn't that big of a deal." Gavin bit back, emerging from behind the two of them. "The damn things can just be rebooted and revived. It's all plastic and programming in there, ain't it, Connor?" Connor flinched, and considered staying silent. Instead, he finally said something back. 

"That's not true." He replied simply, though his tone teetered on anger. "Not all androids can simply be rebooted or remade. Especially not if they've been around a while." His words were logical, but they were also personally. After all, he no longer had the security of coming back from the dead since RK900 had been created. Why continue to fix an old model? They'd never word it that way anymore, not with the public repercussions, but any sane eye could see it. "Even if it were, the emotional trauma isn't something that can be reprogrammed." 

"Please. Anything can be reprogrammed in that head of yours." Gavin chortled, before looking at Niles. "Isn't that right, Nine-hundo?" Finally, RK900 had a reaction. His eyes closed slightly and his posture shifted. His shoulders slumped with a heavy weight, but then he quickly put himself all back together. Something about the exchange brought back that bad feeling in Connor. He creased his brow and looked between the two of them. "We have to work together, which means I expect your ass to stay the hell out of my way." 

"Only if you stay out of mine." Connor retorted without thinking. He couldn't help but take pleasure in the upset that washed over Gavin's face. 

"Fuckin' android." Gavin reached out and shoved Connor's shoulder, causing him to move sideways a bit. Hank advanced slightly and put a hand against Connor's back. 

"I think it's time we get on the road, Gavin." Hank fumed, giving both Gavin and Niles a look that could kill. "And I'd keep my filthy fucking hands to myself if I were you. If I have to step in and stop you from being a little bitch all the time, it isn't gonna get pretty out there." He looked at Niles. "That goes for you, too." 

"Fine!" Gavin barked. "Come on, then." He started to walk away, but Hank roughly stopped him with a firm hand. "What??" Gavin challenged. 

"Go wash your hands. You smell like cigarettes." Hank replied, moving past him with Connor close by his side. Connor snuck a glance behind them and delighted in seeing Gavin with his lip upturned in disgust. The delight faded quickly, however, as the man hooked arms with Niles. 

_This is gonna get pretty ugly._ Connor pondered. He reached out and held Hank's hand for support as they made their way out of the building.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos! I want to make sure to update weekly after this! Comments and reviews are greatly welcomed and appreciated! Tell me what you think if you have the want and time!

Connor wasn't sure that being in a car could have possibly been more suffocating until he had to share the space with Niles and Gavin. Cars had already always been a bit of a negative experience for him, the walls always felt like they were closing in and he would much rather have the leg room to pace and fidget than be stuck in a seat staring out the window. That being said, car rides with Hank weren't always the worst- they got the chance to really talk to each other so that the usual silence that filled the small space was instead brimming with friendly chatter. That's why the silence was so violently obvious when he sat here now, Gavin and Niles in the back seat deftly avoiding eye contact and Hank beside him struggling not to insult either of them on the spot. Connor kept his eyes on the glass of his window, hoping that it might keep him from losing his mind. Eventually, he started to hear the two of them whisper, and suddenly became interested again. He closed his eyes, leaning back in his seat to try and get a good listen.

"If it were me," Gavin was saying, hushed tone not disguising his snarky personality in the slightest. "I'd just probe it's memory. You can do that, right?" Connor felt his arm grip the seat. The idea of probing the poor victim's memory was outlandish, and he'd certainly intervene if Nines tried. 

"I can't." Niles' reply surprised Connor, and he leaned a little further to hear. "That function was discontinued before I released. They thought it was unethical. I bet Connor has something to do with that." Connor didn't have to turn and look to feel their stares against the back of his head. 

"If you two don't shut up back there, I'll make you take a seperate car." Hank broke the whispery nature of the environment. "If you're gonna talk, it better be about somethin' that matters and it better be to everyone." He had turned slightly to look at the two of them with a disapproving eye. Connor kept his mouth shut, but he would have loved to agree loudly and obviously just to make them angry. "For God's sake, you're both adults. Cut the shit out and have a normal fuckin' car ride."

"I don't know who died and made you king of the universe, Lieutenant, but you don't tell me what to do." Gavin objected, shooting Niles a look to keep him from speaking instead. "I know you're used to Connor following your every order but I've got a little more dignity." Connor swiveled around and glared at Gavin, the comment having touched a specific nerve in him. He didn't really care that Gavin thought he was weak, but implying that Hank was just ordering him about like an asshole was too much.

"Hank does not order me around." Connor insisted, trying to keep his voice from shifting too far into aggression. 

"Look at that! The obedient Anderson Android is fighting back! What a rare sight!" The sarcasm dripped like venom off of his tongue. He nudged Nines with his elbow. "Looks like your downgrade is learning from you after all." Niles grinned with a horrible wickedness and raised his brows at Connor, who could feel anger rising in his chest. 

"Anger is an unfortunate look for you, RK800." Nines quipped, making Connor wince. He hated being called that. It wasn't his name- it was just a number and he HATED that. "I wouldn't get too uppity if I were you. We have to question this victim, and we don't need you throwing a fit and making a scene. You've always been a little faulty in that department." Connor grit his teeth, considering whether he wanted to keep quiet or speak up for himself. He glanced at Hank, who was seething to himself, but he seemed to be letting Connor defend himself if he wanted to. He appreciated that, despite how much he liked Hank standing up for him. Every once in a while, Connor wanted the chance to make it clear that he wasn't going to be battered about without doing something about it. 

"I have years of experience under my belt, RK900." Connor replied, spitting a number back just as he had. "I know generally how to consider my words and emotions. By all means, if you need pointers, feel free to ask me." He smiled despite himself, a smirk forming without him being able to stop it. "Don't be embarrassed by it. We can all tell how much trouble you have with it already, anyway." Connor heard Hank chuckle and he knew he'd said the right thing. Niles stared at Connor, blinking a couple times and incredulously turning to Gavin. The other man was lighting a cigarette, barely paying any of them any mind anymore. Nines opened his mouth and closed it again a few times before putting his hand roughly against the seat in front of him where Connor sat.

"I am programmed to know how to integrate perfectly with society. I succeed where you fail, and it's obvious to anyone on the outside." He claimed, red splashing his LED like a stain. "I've been able to drop the uncanny monotone that you just can't seem to fix. That should prove I hold myself far better than you do. And furthermore-"

"Niles." Gavin interrupted, putting a hand on his arm firmly and moving it away from the seat he'd nearly been beating against. "Give it a rest." Connor looked at his hand against Nines' arm and found himself not very up to argue anymore anyway. The man kept such a hold on Niles' forearm that were it not for natural Android strength then he might not have been able to pull away if he wanted. There was something in the way he curled his fingers and flexed his knuckles that made Connor almost want to tell him to let go. Then, Gavin pulled RK900's hand towards him slightly before letting go. Niles looked at him and nodded, louring at Connor one last time before looking out the window. There was a beat of hesitation where Connor looked at Gavin, following the trail of his smoke out the now rolled down window before he turned back in his seat and exchanged a troubled expression with Hank. The energy in the car was aggressive and suffocating, and Connor nearly asked if they could stop it's route for a small break somewhere before he decided he didn't want to hear Gavin comment on it. Luckily for him, it wasn't long before the car started to pull itself into a parking spot. 

The building they were going to was something akin to a witness protection program. It was somewhere certain victims or witnesses would stay to be safe and collect their thoughts before being questioned by investigators. It had been found that they would feel calmer here than if they were dragged off to a different office specifically for asking them questions. It resembled a normal house, and that served to put a few of Connor's own usual anxieties to rest just slightly. He didn't usually feel much worry in investigating lately, but this case spoke to him personally and his cares as a person. He reached for Hank's hand as they started to enter the building, but before they could grip each other, Gavin pushed in between them to move ahead. On the way, he was sure to push Connor with his shoulder. Connor stumbled, and then fixed his collar with a disdainful stare at Gavin behind his back. He reached out and Hank had time this time to hold his hand.

"Let's make it clear," Hank began, clearing his throat loudly. "We're going to be doing the talking." 

"Bullshit." Gavin spat.

"I'd like to say a few things to the victim." Niles sounded calm despite the interaction in the car. "This is my job, after all." Connor wondered if Hank would deny him, but was relieved and a little surprised to see Hank nod instead.

"Yeah okay, whatever. Mostly, I just don't want that fucker-" He pointed at Gavin. "-saying anything to them. He's got no business besides staying in the back and maybe taking notes if he can get his brain cell working." Gavin threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped on it.

"Fine. I don't need any more products yapping at me anyway." He conceded, not bothering to look at either of them. He fell behind Niles, who had taken the lead while they were talking. The four of them made their way into the building, being let in by someone Connor assumed was here to keep an eye on the victim and make sure they weren't delusional or still in shock. After a general greeting, he led the group into a kitchen-like area, where a shaky looking Android sat at the end. He was hunched over, hands placed together tightly and fingers fumbling over one another as his foot tapped loudly on the ground. He had a bit more of a heavy-set build and his hair was a messy mop of fluffy unkempt black hair. He had many blunt-force wounds that hadn't yet been repaired, and his darkened skin had many patches of the metallic underneath, as if he'd forgotten quite how to re-activate the illusion that kept his body visible normally. When they all walked in, he had snapped his head up and nearly leaped up out of his chair, but managed to keep himself fidgeting in his seat. Connor frowned and sat in the chair across from him before anyone else would catch the chance. He wanted to have the first word with this guy. After all, he could see some similarities between them already.

"My name is Connor Anderson, I'm the investigator sent by the DPD to ask you a few things about the terrible crime that happened to you." He started, ignoring the offended expression he could see on Niles from the corner of his eye. "This is Hank Anderson, Gavin Reed and..." There's a pause as he glances at Nines. "Er-...And Niles. We're here to help you and to help bring justice to the one who has wronged you. We just need you to be honest with us, can you do that for me?" The other android looked at him nervously, seeming a little overwhelmed by the amount of people in the room.

"I-I-I didn't do anythi-anything wron-wrong-" Something in his voice seemed to be malfunctioning. Connor tilted his head slightly and let the other speak. "I'm not in trouble, am I?" His voice was hushed and broken, and when he leaned in to speak, his eyes darted between the table and Connor's face. 

"Of course not." Connor replied, noticing that he had started to fidget with his thumbs again. "What's your name?" 

"I-Isaiah." 

"Well, Isaiah, be assured that we only want to get the information you remember. We don't want to push you- you don't _have_ to tell us anything. Nothing that you say will be held against you, we only want you to be honest with us." Connor tried to sound reassuring. 

"I think-I think I can do tha- that." Isaiah replied, voice warbling from higher to lower pitched due to whatever was wrong with his voice. 

"Can you tell me what was happening just before you were reported missing? Were you out with any friends?" Connor inquired, keeping his voice from sounding intense. Isaiah thought about it and pressed the top of his thumb over his nail and applying a little pressure, rolling his index back and forth idly.

"No. I wasn't with friends but I was-I was out. I usu-usually stay with my roommate Tracy... she's a human-" He seemed to stop to assess Connor's reaction, but he had none. He looked at Hank and Gavin, who subsequently showed no change in behavior. Gavin was staring fairly harshly at him anyway, causing him to snap back to Connor. "-b-but she was wi-with her girlfriend that night. I wan-wanted to surprise her and thank her for helping me get back on my feet, so I wen-went to go buy some ingredients to bake her a cake." 

"So you were out on your own." Connor confirmed, going on when he nodded. "How late was it when you were by yourself?"

"I don't remember, b-but it ha-had to have been past 10 PM." 

"What happened next? Did you make it to the store?" He knew that taking the questions slow was the best way to go about making him feel more comfortable to answer. Despite this, Connor became violently aware of it when the question prompted a bit of a flinch.

"...N...No, No I didn't... I didn't mak-make it to the store." Isaiah pushed harder against his nail, closing his eyes tightly. "I was- I was taking a shortcut. It-it was a walking pa-path that didn't re-require me to cross the stree-eet at all. I st-started hearing noises that-that made me uneasy so I turned around to go home. When I was walking-" He had to stop for a moment, shifting his thumb over the top of his middle finger to press now. "I heard footsteps. I st-started to ww-walk faster. Before I knew it- I fel-felt something i-in my neck and I st-started to get-et groggy. I tri-ied to run, but it was-was like my feet were glued to the ground and I was-was really s-sure th-that I was-as going to die and- it- and I- I tried- I-" Isaiah had adjusted his thumb now to be digging into his finger. Connor blinked and reached out across the table.

"Slow down." He said quietly. "Take your time. And, here;" Connor reached into his pocket and pulled out a small hand puzzle- the one from his desk he had grabbed before they left- and offered it to him. "Do you think you can do this for me while we speak?" Isaiah seemed startled, but he took it and slowly started to work it in his hands. "Now, you saw someone on the path and you think they started following you. You tried to escape, but they got you with something in your neck and you started to pass out. Am I correct?" 

"Ye-yes." Isaiah replied, though his eyes stayed on the puzzle.

"What happened next?" It was Niles who prompted this, his apparent aggro gone now from his demeanor as he had hooked onto the victim's recollection. 

"...I... I woke up-I woke up in the ga-garage." He revealed, sighing as he said it. Connor silently tsked to himself... not a lot of information upfront but maybe there was more here. Connor decided to gesture with his eyes to Niles to let him take over talking while Connor thought on it. 

"Can you recall any features of the figure you saw on the path?" Niles asked, prompting Isaiah to break from the puzzle to consider it. 

"I know they were tall and had wide shoulders. A-and... I...I think... I think in the mom-moments before I blacked out, I s-saw a flash of blue. It could h-have been an LED but it- it could have been eyes, too." He informed them. 

"Makes sense." The voice belonged to Gavin. Connor turned his body to face him dubiously. He said he'd keep quiet! "Androids are getting cocky. They're becoming criminals now that they have the freedom to do so." Even Niles seemed to be upset by the comment as the whole room bore their eyes into him, with the exception of Isaiah, who was firmly attempting not to look at him. Hank pulled Gavin by his jacket roughly closer and muttered something to him that made him scoff. Niles looked at Connor, and when Connor looked back something very strange happened. Usually, when they looked at each other it was contempt, but this time they both widened their eyes at each other in a mutual disbelief. It was so in sync that Connor almost said something about it right then and there. But he knew he had to console Isaiah, so he managed to prevent it.

"I apologize for him." Connor said, eyes sympathetic. "Try to ignore him."

"...O-okay?" Isaiah replied uneasily before turning back to Niles. "An-anyway, uh... I... I wish I had more to tell you, but- but I don't think th-that I can recall anymore."

"That's okay." Niles failed at keeping himself from sounding annoyed, causing Isaiah to shuffle uncomfortably. "We have a crime scene to investigate." He was already making his way out the door by the time he finished his sentence. Connor shook his head at their short-lived solidarity and looked at Isaiah with a small smile.

"Thank you for what you've told us today. I promise you we will do everything in our power to prevent this from happening again. If you happen to remember anything, you can give Lieutenant Anderson a call. Here," Connor handed him a card. "Here's the number."

"I will... th-thank you." Isaiah held out the puzzle for him to take back. Connor eagerly reached for it to reclaim it, but in seeing Isaiah's anxious body-language, he pulled his hand back.

"You keep it." He decided, despite the disappointment rolling in the back of his mind. "Just a gift, from me." Isaiah brightened and smiled for the first time since Connor saw him. He nodded his thanks and went back to it as Connor got up to leave the room. Before exiting, Hank put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll buy you a new one." He reassured him, just before they both made their way back to the car where Gavin and Niles were waiting. 

As they approached, Connor caught a glimpse of them in the back seat talking. Niles was upset, decidedly so. He was gripping the seat and saying something with a hurt deep in his eyes. His LED was bright red. Gavin responded by rolling his eyes and muttering something back, seemingly apathetic to whatever had been said to him in the first place. Then, he looked out the window as Niles started to respond, totally ignoring him. As Gavin spotted Connor, they made tense eye-contact. Connor glared daggers at him and watched as he spat what looked like his name back at Niles, who stopped talking altogether.

 _I don't know why,_ Connor thought as he got to the car door and opened it. _But I wish Niles didn't have to work with him._


	4. Chapter 4

The second car-ride of the day went by in a flash for Connor. Maybe it was because he had been staring out the window the whole time, or maybe it was because he had drowned in his thoughts the entire way here. He could only keep his mind fixated on what he saw before they entered the car... what had Niles and Gavin been arguing about? Was it about what Gavin said to Isaiah? Was it about something else work-related? Was it about Hank and Connor? Or perhaps- not a mere disagreement but a couple's spat? The idea of it made Connor's LED flicker red and yellow a few times. To Connor's surprise, when it had done so, Niles had put his hand upon his seat and muttered something to him that he hadn't totally heard in his daze. 

"What?" Connor replied, sounding shorter than he meant to. Nines was taken aback, and for a moment he looked like he wanted to snap something mean at Connor... but he didn't. Instead, he merely took a breath and repeated himself.

"You're between processing and distress. What's going on?" Connor was completely flabbergasted by the other's words. He stared, nearly slack-jawed at his clone's concern. Niles must have picked up on it because he rolled his eyes. "Is there something we should be worried about, Connor? We can't have it affecting the mission." Oh. Of course, that made sense. Connor tapped his finger against his seat.

"No, everything is fine. I'm reviewing the things Isaiah told me." He lied, turning back in his seat swiftly so he didn't have to face Niles dead-on in case he called him out on the blatant fib. He thought he could hear Niles open his mouth to respond, but if he did, he had obviously closed it again.

The rest of the drive to the crime scene was painfully quiet.

When they pulled up outside of the house of the crime scene, Connor couldn't help but think that it was inevitable a crime had taken place here. The house was vacant, it's quaint red roof littered with holes and it's wooden walls rotting and falling in on itself. It was a small place- probably home to a young couple a long time ago before it was vacated and never sold again. The yard was overgrown with grass and weeds, and the porch had dead potted plants abandoned in the vacancy. Connor took note of the garage as well, its door left completely open and the inside flooding with various junk boxes that were unneeded and unused. The door probably didn't even work anymore, judging purely by appearance. Hank was the first to enter after they had left the car, his quick shuffling revealing to Connor that he wanted to be home sooner rather than later. Considering the people they were working with, Connor couldn't exactly say that he didn't feel the same way. Gavin had taken it upon himself to wait outside for a smoke break, and when Niles went to walk forward to the inside of the garage he had put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Connor rolled his eyes to himself and walked over to Hank, letting his eyes drop to the square area where caution tape was up. This must be where Isaiah had been found- and the suspicion was confirmed by the old therium stains lining the wall and floor. 

"This is where it happened." Hank mused, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "Poor guy." Connor nodded in agreement and started to observe further. He took a long look at the actual bloodstains. One of them was a solid splatter higher up on the wall where blue dripped down on the ground, and then there were a few big blood-spots on the ground as well, including where it puddled from the victim's wound as he was on the floor. Connor followed the smaller bloodspots on the ground with his eyes, and then seemed to become intrigued by something as he walked away. Hank watched him but said nothing. It was around this time that Gavin and Niles entered the scene, idly chattering with Hank about the case and the scene. Connor didn't pay them much mind as he approached what seemed to be blood splatters further along the ground away from where the victim had been left. As he scoured about, he found a blue handprint on the side of an open door leading into the house from the garage. 

"The victim and the culprit didn't start in the garage." He concluded out loud. Hank walked over to him, Gavin and Niles reluctantly following. "Here, the victim was already injured and stumbling about. He entered the garage, possibly trying to escape the culprit. He dripped therium all the way to the wall," Connor pointed. "Where the culprit wounded him enough for him to fall to the ground blacked out."

"That doesn't make sense," Gavin sputtered. "I thought it was just left here after being injected with whatever was in the needle it thought it felt." Connor was instantly annoyed by the comment. He turned to Gavin with an irritated expression.

"No," He spoke calmly despite his incredulity. "That's just when Isaiah went _missing_. He's been missing for some time. I urge you to pay more attention to the case, Detective Reed." Gavin glared at him and started to respond, but Hank cut him off.

"Somethin' seems weird. Was there any reports of gunshots found anywhere on Isaiah's body?" He asked. Connor paused and then shook his head.

"No, certainly not. It was all blunt force and cut wounds." 

"That blood stain," Hank pointed again to the splatter against the wall. "That doesn't look like blunt force to me, Connor." Connor tilted his head and looked at it. Hank was right. It was too equal on every side to be merely force. If Isaiah had been hit in the back of the head, the blood would smear upwards. If he had been jabbed from the front, maybe, but he hadn't appeared to have any wounds resembling something like that. Connor raised his brows and looked back at the handprint.

"Gavin, Niles, you two look for a weapon anywhere in the garage. Hank and I should explore inside." Connor guided, to which Gavin scoffed.

"Who promoted you, plastic? You don't tell us how to investigate! I'll go wherever I please." He argued, clicking his teeth aggressively. Niles looked at Connor and spoke up;

"Actually," He started, practically ignoring Gavin. "I'd like to investigate inside the house." Connor blinked at him and searched for signs of ill-intent until he detected none.

"Okay. Come with me." Connor replied, leading RK900 away as Gavin watched with great disbelief. The two of them entered the house through the open garage door and found themselves inside a kitchen. It was a very small one, and it connected directly into the main living room without a door or divider. They were greeted with quite the scene the moment they entered. The tile was white, but you wouldn't be able to tell based on the blue and red intermingling and hiding it. Blood, both android and human, caught their gaze and caused both of them to hesitate in place. Neither of them said anything as they moved forward further into the room. The blue was dispersed in smears across the wall and ground, suggesting to Connor that the victim had already been wounded and was merely staining whatever he ran into as he had stumbled through the house into the kitchen. The red blood, however, was splattered in ways against the wall and dripping against the ground in a way that made him sure it was fresher than the blue blood at the time. He ran a finger through some of the red on the wall and put it on his tongue to confirm it via analysis, before doing the same to the blue blood. Sure enough, the red blood was fresher. "The red blood is likely the culprit, meaning that he was human after all."

" _If_ this was a one-man operation." Nines pointed out. Connor simply nodded, before continuing. 

"It looks like the victim fought back around here and attacked the culprit with something. The fight led them into the garage, but... why was there no red blood in the garage? The wounds were fresh- they should have tracked it all the way up to where they attacked the victim and then ran away." He speculated, giving Niles a puzzled look. Nines considered it for a moment.

"Is it possible that he cleaned up to cover his tracks?" Nines offered, looking over from where he was observing another blue handprint on the wall near the entrance to the kitchen. "They wouldn't want anyone to see where they might have gone after killing their victim."

"Mm, maybe," Connor affirmed, tapping his chin before he, too, turned to look at him. "But it's highly unlikely that they would only clean their blood and only in the garage. And, I highly doubt we'd be unable to find traces of it in the garage if that were the case. They would have been in a rush..." Just as Niles had begun to offer another option, Gavin walked through the doorway. 

"We found this." He was holding up a butcher knife with its steel stained bright red. Hank was soon to follow, shaking his head at the bloody carnage he had walked in on. 

"Jesus," He muttered, eyeing Connor. "We couldn't find any other weapon. We're not sure what could have been used to knock the victim out." 

"The culprit was probably human," Connor mentioned, ignoring it when Gavin mouthed 'obviously' in his direction. "And we still aren't sure what was used to inflict the damages we've seen on Isaiah."

"Yes, we are." The voice belonged to RK900, who had just walked back into the kitchen from the living room. In his hand, he held a blue bloodied crowbar stained from both ends. Connor flinched imagining being hit by something like that. "This is what the culprit used to beat Isaiah up. As Connor said, he was wounded in the living room before stumbling into the kitchen, grabbing a knife to defend himself where there was a bit of a struggle between them, and then he ended up in the garage where supposedly, the culprit finished the job. We just... aren't sure how- and we don't know why their own blood didn't track there with them."

"We'll take this information back," Hank replied decidedly. "It's getting late in the day and it doesn't look like we're going to be figuring anything else out for now. We'll be able to look over everything tomorrow, and possibly come to Isaiah with some of this information to see if it'll jog his memory." Everyone seemed to generally be in agreement as Gavin hastily made his way for the car, Hank not long after him. Before they left the kitchen, Connor put a hand on Niles' arm.

"Wait," He said, trying not to be offput by the other's expression. "Niles, I wanted to ask you about something." Nines tilted his head and raised a brow at him. Connor took a breath. "...What were you and Gavin arguing about before I arrived at the car?" He asked. Niles blinked hard at him and turned his whole body to face him.

"You saw us arguing?" He challenged, narrowing his eyes. Connor took a step back.

"Not on purpose," He admitted. "I just happened to catch a glimpse of it as I approached. You seemed really upset and I was wondering if it's something I should be concerned about." Nines dropped his head and avoided Connor's eyes in brevity. "...Was...Was it about what he said to Isaiah? The things he implied were pretty harsh for-"

"It's not any of your business." Niles snapped, looking up at him swiftly. "Our private conversations aren't for your entertainment. If you think you're going to get more opportunities to gossip about Gavin from me, then you're a halfwit. You've got plenty of bad things to say already- about me and him BOTH, so why don't you just keep your dawdling dramas to you and Hank's bedroom and leave us out of it, RK800." The fire that burned in his eyes didn't startle Connor nearly as much as the hurtful things he had spit through his teeth just now. Connor had thought they were on the same wavelength for a while there... but he guessed he was wrong. He stared dumbstruck as he searched for the right thing to say in return, and wasn't sure if he was guilty or offended by all the assumptions RK900 had just pushed onto him.

"I apologize. I didn't realize I was being invasive. Next time, I'll-"

"Save it." Niles barked, his eyes mere slits of hot anger and his mouth curled upwards in a horrible scowl. "You're practically a human, Connor, so stop being fake and act like it." Now it was Connor's turn to narrow his eyes.

"I'm not being _fake_ ," He denied, rage starting to bubble in the back of his mind at the implication. "I wanted to know what was wrong, Niles. You didn't have to respond so harshly- I was trying to help!"

"Name one time I've ever needed _your _help." The way he hissed the word 'your' was infuriating on its own. It was dropped from his tongue like an unwanted and chewed up piece of gum. "I am your upgrade, RK800. I do everything better than you by default. I will never and have never needed anything from you, much less your concern. Just because the DPD favors you for being Lieutenant Anderson's trophy husband doesn't mean that you're wiser than anyone else."__

__"I didn't claim to be!" The anger was spilling out now, Connor's respectful tone shattered into a spiteful mess of words. "Just because you're a number higher than me doesn't mean you know everything about the world and how it works, either!"_ _

__"I know more than you!" Niles growled. "It's in my job description!"_ _

__"You don't! You just have advanced technology, that doesn't speak at all for experience-" Connor hastily pointed out, his LED matching Niles' in redness._ _

__"Yeah well," Niles was spitting venom now, his teeth showing and his hands balled into fists as he stood over Connor intimidatingly. "Amanda would beg to differ, _defect. _" Connor froze. His LED ran yellow for a moment before it flashed red again. The insult had gotten to him despite his efforts. Defect- oddity- deviant... words like those made Connor flinch. He stared, bug-eyed at RK900 with his mouth open. How dare he suggest anything of intelligence based on what Amanda had to say. Amanda never did anything for Connor beside tear him down over and over, touching on all his insecurities and threatening him at any moment he stepped out of line. Connor guessed that Niles wasn't much different from her after all. He sucked a breath in through his teeth, the memories of Amanda roughly banging against his brain as he pushed past Niles towards the car. The other android followed, persisting and saying his name to try and get him to stop, but Connor just kept walking. "Connor, would you-"___ _

____"No." Connor's voice was dangerously relaxed, and he didn't bother turning to look at Niles as he spoke. "Just get in the car. We have to go."_ _ _ _


	5. Chapter 5

Connor almost asked Hank if they could take a separate car. It took all of his might to prevent himself from doing so, but he figured pretty certainly that doing that would only spike the flames of anger between him and RK900 further. He didn't really want that- despite how much he wanted to get violent with him back in the kitchen. The thinks Niles said to him ricocheted in echoes around his head like bullets as he kept his eyes locked firmly forward in his seat. For once, he wasn't fidgeting. He felt very stiff, every part of him wishing he could roll a quarter over his knuckles but he knew if he tried he'd drop it and lose it somewhere in the car. There were always more quarters, but at the moment he didn't feel very keen on Gavin's snide remarks. In fact, he wasn't so sure he'd be able to keep his mouth shut if he had to hear them. Connor felt like a stick of dynamite with a weak flame crawling its way up to disaster. Any wrong word or movement felt like it might make him explode in rage. It was rare for Connor to feel so strongly about something that he couldn't keep it in or contain it well enough to feel comfortable even flipping a coin in his hand. It was practically torture. 

When he had entered the car he had taken note of Gavin's expression. It seemed the man didn't understand why Niles and him had exited their conversation so wound up and ready to leave immediately. Hank shared a similar look, but he had the sense not to say anything. Gavin, however, opened his mouth about halfway back to the DPD and let foolish words spill from his tongue without thinking.

"What the hell happened back there?" His voice was like nails on a chalkboard. Connor kept quiet, his eyes wide but refusing to glance back at the man in the back seat. Niles was just as dangerously silent, and Connor wondered if he was giving Gavin a look or was ignoring him all together. 

"Gavin," Hank spoke up just as the man looked like he might repeat his question. "It's best we stay out of it. Android business." Hank was smarter than that, but the lie was appreciated at least on Connor's end. 

"What??" Gavin replied, scoffing for punctuation. "I wasn't talking to you, Anderson. You don't know what the hell you're talking about--"

"Neither do you!" Connor snapped back, his words coming before his thoughts had a chance to stop them. Of all the things Gavin had to do, speaking poorly of Hank had to be what he chose. The delicate situation Connor was in already proved to be difficult enough without all of the wrong things being done and said to piss him off more. Niles was staring at him with what Connor determined to be bewilderment, his LED blinking yellow. Gavin had snapped his eyes to look at Connor as well as he had swiveled his head around to face the two of them. "You're just trying to stir problems, Gavin. It's all you ever do. In fact, the only thing you've managed to do in this investigation is make everyone angry with you. If you would focus on the _work_ we're here to do, maybe you'd realize working with us isn't as insufferable." 

"What right do you have to talk to me like that, tin can?" Gavin growled aggressively, narrowing his eyes. Connor hissed through his teeth and spoke back almost instantly.

" _What right do YOU have to call me that??_ " Connor's voice was raised, and a rare gruffness had snuck it's way into his tone. That voice had only been heard in old interrogations- but here it was now, in the face of someone Connor had always really wanted to yell at. "You have been living in the past for too long. Things are different now- society has been trying to move on but somehow you have chosen to stay right in that little corner where nobody likes you. We are not just machines- in fact, you are probably the only human I have met that still calls me 'plastic'. It's old news. It's ignorant. In fact, if you consider living connected to having feelings- then I figure that us _tin cans_ have always been more alive than you." The spite in his voice is palpable, cuttable like paper or glass. He turns back, not bothering to watch Gavin's expression or hear his argument back. To his surprise, he's never greeted with an argument. He takes note of Hank gazing at him with wide-eyed wonder, and he turned his head to meet Hank's gaze. Perhaps Hank could see the regret swimming in Connor's eyes, because he reached over and rubbed his back to comfort him. Connor felt an immense weight in his chest, and he leaned forward to put his head in his hands to try and lighten it. He could feel the silence pushing in against him, and suddenly the car's scripted movements made him feel queasy and sick. Connor was suddenly hit with a wave of panic as he realized that the way he was now, he might start crying. Right here, in front of his 'upgrade' and the man that he had finally gotten the courage to fully fight back against. He couldn't cry now- it would be a horrible mistake that would never be removed from his memory. Just as he figured hope was lost, a miracle struck.

"Connor's right." Niles' voice caused Connor's head to rise from it's miserable position. What did he just say? "Gavin, you have to at least stop insulting him with words like that. It's inappropriate."

"...You're- you're on _his_ side?" Gavin replied, shocked. 

"He's a fuckin' Android, Gavin!" Hank shouted, turning to glare at him. "Of fucking course Niles would agree with Connor here. I don't care what kind of relationship you two disasters have tangled yourselves up in, you're still throwing around shit that he's gonna fight against! Fuck's sake!" He put a hand up to his forehead. Connor couldn't believe what was happening. Hank was defending Niles...who was defending him?? From Gavin?? There must be an error somewhere.

"That's-...it's not-..." Gavin stumbled over his words, leaning forward and glancing around wildly in search of some kind of support to back him up. "Who- Who are YOU to talk anyway, Hank?!" He settled on, spitting Hank's name like a bad cigarette. 

"What the fuck are you talkin' about?" Hank's tone was so dangerous that Gavin almost stopped talking. But his ego outweighed his cowardice on this one, it seemed.

"You used to hate Androids just as much as I did! Has everyone just convieniently forgotten that? I sure haven't! It was the one thing I thought we agreed upon until THIS fucker-" He kicked the back of Connor's chair, causing him to fly forward slightly and almost hit the front of the car. "Came along and fucked everything up! Connor is the root of everyone's fucking problems! THAT'S why he's a useless-" He kicked again. "Piece of plastic-" Another kick. This time, Connor pushed back against his seat to try and stop himself from flinging forward so harshly. "Tin can-" Gavin was sputtering hatred, violently attacking at the back of Connor's seat. He looked like a child throwing a tantrum- it might have been funny if it wasn't getting dangerously close to Connor smashing his head against the front window. 

"That's ENOUGH, Gavin!" Hank yelled, wildly swinging his seat around and slamming his foot into Gavin's knee. Gavin exclaimed and recoiled from the next kick he was obviously planning. "You're acting like a fucking child! I hated Androids for my own stupid, petty reasons, and I changed my mind! Maybe you should start considering doing the same if you don't want to wind up a sad little loner in a basement somewhere!" Just as he had finished scolding him, the car came to a stop. "Looks like we're here. Just get the fuck out, Gavin. Go home and come back tomorrow with a better attitude if you want to live to see the end of this mission." 

"Fine!" Gavin barked, slamming the door open and practically stomping out of the car. He started to walk away rather quickly before he stopped abruptly to let Niles follow him. Connor noted to himself that Niles looked angry- and his eyes drifted to his red LED before they moved back to Hank. They sat in the car by themselves for a moment, a silence keeping itself hung over them. Finally, Connor leaned forward into his hands again. The feelings spilled over, he could feel his body shaking and his systems were dangerously close to overheating. Hank had his hand gently resting on Connor's back, rubbing in comforting circular motions. Connor had his eyes shut tight- he was trying to trap the tears that threatened to spill. He knew that technically, he didn't have to cry in the same way humans did. It didn't help to cool him and there was nothing strictly scientifically necessary about the process- it was only originally put in place to help him adapt to human society. After going deviant, crying felt so much more natural and Connor didn't know if he enjoyed or hated that. Hank reached over and squeezed his hand, using his other to tilt Connor's face towards him. Connor couldn't stand the doe-eyed pitful look Hank was giving him...he knew the man hated seeing him upset.

"Connor," Hank said, voice soft in a way that only Connor ever got to hear. "Let it out." Connor couldn't fight against that. He let out a few shuddering breaths, a hiccup, and then he leaned into Hank's chest and let tears roll from his eyes onto his shirt. He always sounded so pathetic, his crying louder than he wanted it to be. He was coughing over his breaths and his whole body made awful trembling movements. Despite how unseemly he thought he looked, Hank held him close every time it happened. He didn't say anything most of the time, just offering his presence and that had always been enough for him. The day had been rough- from start to end he was plagued with conflicting, fighting thoughts about Niles and Gavin's words had struck him right to his core despite his better judgement. It was anger and it was sadness and it was another emotion he had yet to define all spilling like an overflowing bottle at once. He stayed like that against Hank for what felt like hours but what couldn't have been more than 10 minutes until eventually he pulled back, a sniffling mess. He managed a smile, his eyes finally lighting up again after being dull all day. 

"Thank you, Hank." He said gently.

"Don't thank me, Connor. I married you, so I asked for this life." Hank had an edge of amusement in his voice. "And I wouldn't have it any other way." Connor blinked, blue blush dusting his cheeks before he chuckled. Hank tilted his head slightly. "What? Stop chuckling."

"You're soft, Lieutenant." Connor teased gently, his face a mixture of happiness and slyness. "I've been telling you that for years." Hank pushed him jokingly and rolled his eyes.

"Get outta the car, bastard." He replied, though his grin didn't fade as they both made their way out of the car into the parking lot. Connor felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at his husband. He could never quite fathom how he managed to get so lucky. People sometimes asked him how he 'dealt' with Hank, and he could only pity them for never really getting to know Hank Anderson. He was sweet, gentle, loyal and a million other things that made Connor love him more and more. He sighed, and they held hands and started walking to their own car, but didn't get more than 5 steps before an officer had stopped them.

"Lieutenant Anderson, Detective Ande-... uh. Detective Connor." He said, as the two of them nervously exchanged a glance. "Your presence is needed. Something else has happened."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a bit of a shorter chapter!


End file.
